title: Medical findings in women with anorexia nervosa in a korean population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Eating disorders are a common clinical problem among young women in Asian countries. The aim of this study is to determine the medical effects of anorexia nervosa (AN) in the Korean population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We comprehensively investigated medical complications including haemodynamic, haematologic, endocrine, and bone density abnormalities in 67 Korean women with AN, together with 194 healthy Korean women of comparable age with a cross-sectional design.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In AN, 36.9% were anaemic, 50.8% were leukopenic, 35.5% were hypoproteinemic, 7.9% were hypokalemic, 9.5% had increased alanine aminotransferase, 6.3% were hyperbilirubinemia, 14.5% were hypercholesterolemia, 14.8% had decreased triiodothyronine. Osteopenia at any one site was identified in 43.3% and an additional 13.4% had osteoporosis. The lowest-ever body mass index was the main determinant of bone mineral density.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data in Korean patients with AN show high frequencies of laboratory abnormalities for medical complications. This study emphasizes the importance of recognizing AN as a medical risk in young Korean women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul Paik Hospital, Inje University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. ; Institute for Gender Research, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Youl-Ri
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Myung Ha
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Son
authors.forename: Jong Chun
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Nah
authors.forename: Hyun Ah
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Park
keywords: Anorexia nervosa; Bone mineral density; Eating disorder; Korean; Medical complication